21 Smoking Guns
by Varmint
Summary: What if the DC Universe wasn't as we knew it? What if Speedy wasn't Roy, but instead Wally? What if Batman didn't save Dick Grayson, but instead Kaldur'ahm of Atlantis? And just how would this different world's Justice League form? Clearly, it won't be all smooth sailing for these heroes.
1. Chapter 1

_**December 23rd, 2008:**_

_The fire burned in an almost mocking way, the stray licks almost burning the small child standing in front of the house that was slowly being consumed. He could hear the screams of the two people trapped inside, but he couldn't bring himself to care..._

_"Son, are you okay?"_

_Suddenly there was a neighbor of his standing beside him, gasping with wide eyes as he saw the house slowly buckling to the fire, hands on the shoulders of the small red headed boy as more and more neighbors gathered around them._

_"Oh my gosh, are Ruddy and Mary still in there?!" A very known housewife gasped, covering her mouth as she turned to her husband, seeking comfort from the horror they were just facing._

_"For the love of God, somebody call the Fire Department!" The neighborhood president yelled over the other people that were close to being traumatized._

_"Wally, are you okay?" The same old man that had first come to him asked, making the large green eyes that were once focused on nothing turn to him._

_"I... I..." Wally gaped, then closed his eyes and lowered his head._

_The man frowned with sympathy and knelt beside him, hugging the young boy beside him to comfort him._

_Human nature. To expect what isn't necessarily true._

_This man thought Wally was mourning the apparent death of his parents when in truth, he was happy. The demons in his life were now dead and wouldn't be able to haunt him anymore... He was finally free._

**A few months later:**

Wally was running as fast as his little legs would allow him, the nine year old doing his best to run away from his fourth foster home. Each home had something wrong with it, be it abuse or neglect; or both; and he was sick and tired of it. He had ran away many times before, but this time he was set on never going back to the government. He would survive on his own.

He had somehow made his way to Star City, and from some divine intervention, he managed to sneak into Queen Industries' building by lying and saying that he was going inside to meet with his uncle. So, after getting in, he sneaked into the bathrooms and leaned his head against the stall, deciding to get some sleep.

It was already past midnight when he had woken up and stretched, walking out of the bathroom to check and see if there was any food for him to nab.

Looking from side to side before he walked out of the bathroom, he quickly sped through the whole building, smirking and grateful at the freak accident he had just a few days before his house burned down. He was now faster than the speed of light!

Nearing the top floors, Wally started to slow down as he heard grunts and yells from one of the meeting rooms, curious as to what it could be.

And, ignoring his Uncle Barry's advice to forever avoid conflict, a curious Wally slowly opened the door to the meeting room, emerald eyes widening in awe and shock at the scene before him!

The Hood! Star City's own superhero! Fighting against some mobsters!

Wally almost jumped for joy, but restrained himself as he saw the archer being slowly overtaken by the men fighting him.

"How do you like that, Hood?!" One man growled in what seemed like a Russian accent, holding a big gun as the Hood continued fighting the henchmen.

"I can't let the Hood get hurt!" Wally whispered, knuckles white as he grasped the door handle tightly. "I have to help him!"

And with his resolve steeled, Wally sped into the room and managed to tackle two men at the same time, knocking their breaths away with his weight and giving the Hood a chance to fight the men off.

Once more he sped into the shadows, smirking inwardly as the Hood shot two arrows into the shoulder of one man that was getting too excited with his knife.

"Vladimir Romanovich! You have failed this city!" The Hood growled as he set his sights on the Russian man that had tried to hurt him.

Then an arrow found its home in the Russian man's neck, making Wally's eyes widen in shock and horror.

"Who else is in here?!"

After having defeated the rest of the men, the Hood looked all around the room, knowing that it wasn't a ghost that had helped him.

He heard a small sniffle and growled. "Show yourself!"

Wally was now shaking in fear. The Hood was going to kill him! He just knew it!

"Come out now or I will find you and hurt you!"

The Hood was now looking all over the room, bow drawn and arrow ready, not wanting any loose ends. If someone had seen him, it was likely that they knew something. There was no one in Queen Industries at this hour. He made sure of it.

"P-p-p-p-please... D-don't h-h-hurt me."

He was caught off guard when a small, red headed child with striking emerald eyes slowly stumbled his way out of the shadows, tears staining his cheeks as he grasped onto his backpack tightly.

The Hood slowly lowered his weapons as he saw the small child stand before him, sniffling and looking down at the floor with utmost terror.

... This isn't what he wanted... He didn't want to strike fear into innocents... Just into the criminals.

"Where are your parents, kid?" The Hood asked, sighing as he returned his arrow into his quiver and made his bow more mobile.

The red head just passed his arm over his nose to clean up the snot, and stuttered out, "T-th-they're d-d-dead, M-Mister Ho-ood, sir."

The archer and knelt down to the boy's height, and on an impulse he would never truly understand, asked, "What do you say to coming home with me? At least till we get you a proper home?"

**February 15th, 2010:**

"Now you understand, Batman. Speedy's my kid. Let me get him." Green Arrow growled as he aimed his shock arrow at the only skin he could see from Batman, ready to hurt the man just to save his sidekick.

"He is not your kid, Arrow. He is a runaway. Your _illegal_ ward." Batman growled back while his own sidekick, Robin, stood close behind him.

"I highly doubt your kid is not an illegal ward, Batman. Now, either you help me get my kid back from the Joker, or you get the _fuck_ out of my way." Green Arrow snarled, anger building up as Batman continued being his ignorant and stoic self.

"Gotham is my city. You will not-"

"Bullshit! You're always walking into Star or Central when nobody asks for your help! You waltz in to track down any of your rogues, and I say nothing! So now, you get out of my way and let my find my kid, or you will know just how much two hundred and forty volts of electricity coursing through your body will hurt."

Batman's eyes narrowed at the threat, but a tug on his cape made him turn around and look at Robin.

The dark skinned boy was almost just as stoic as himself, but much more naive and innocent.

"We should help him, Batman." Robin told him, his face mask not managing to hide the intensity of his gray eyes. "Imagine if this ever happened to you in Star City."

Batman frowned at that train of thought, not liking the idea of his sidekick being kidnapped by Merlin or any of the Chinese Mob, then nodded.

"You'll get our help, Arrow. But my rules and you follow me." He growled, then turned around and headed to the Bat mobile. "That is, if you don't want Speedy back in a box."

**New Story that I just had to post. I _will_ try to finish it because I really like this idea, and I am also working on my other stories, but I just need some more time and inspiration.**

**Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

Green Arrow frowned heavily as he rode beside Batman in his Bat Mobile, Robin riding his Arrow Car to wherever it was that the Bat was taking him. He was heavily displeased at this course of action, but knew it was for the best. Batman knew the Joker better than Green Arrow wanted to admit, and maybe he would be a good ally to have at this time.

Sure, the Bat was one of the scariest figures to ever rise from Gothamite lore, leaving some heroes in other cities wondering if he was real or just figment of the overactive imagination of stressed out people, but he also proved to be useful. Smart and strong, he could at least help Arrow get his son back.

"How did you even end up here, Arrow?" Batman growled in his gravelly voice, making Green Arrow turn to him with an annoyed frown.

"Chasing down a lead for a friend of mine. Gangster named Siegel." Arrow murmured, then looked out the window just to see the buildings whizzing past him.

Batman's frown seemed to get deeper at this answer, but continued prying. "How did Speedy get captured by the Joker?"

Now Green Arrow sighed, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing at his forehead, feeling the overwhelming sensation of guilt. If only he had made the kid stay home.

"I had told him that tonight would be the one night he wouldn't go with me. I told him Gotham was dangerous and it would be my friend and myself, but then the guy cancels on me for some unknown reason and Speedy talks me into bringing him."

Batman almost shook his head at this, feeling like he should tell the man just how stupid this had been, but decided against it and let Arrow continue speaking.

"We find Siegel, but he's with two psychos. The Dummy and the Joker. They separate us and the next thing I know is Joker's taking a bound up Speedy away and Harley knocks me out." Arrow growled, disappointed in himself. "That's when you found me."

Batman nodded at this story, but continued glaring at the road. Arrow's feelings hurt. He was too close to his sidekick.

* * *

_**February 18th, 2009:**_

_"Wow! There's no way this is your house!" The nine year old ginger gasped as he stepped out of the stretch limo, Oliver Queen smiling as he stepped out behind him._

_"Not only his, child."_

_Wally turned in shock to see Oliver's mother smiling down at him, a dark skinned man, a light skinned teenage girl, and a tanned middle aged woman standing with her._

_"Wally, this is my mother, Moira Queen." Oliver lead the small boy towards the group in front of the large mansion, his green eyes wide as the elderly woman leaned down to hug him. _

_"Just call me grandma, child."_

* * *

"Let go of me, you stupid clown!" Speedy growled as he glared at the white faced clown through his domino mask, struggling against his bonds.

The Joker only giggled and jumped from side to side with a knife in his hand, ecstatic to see that the chain he had made from ties and random pieces of scrap was strong enough to hold the young hero.

"I don't think so, Archer Junior!" Joker laughed maniacally, then turned around as he heard Harley Quinn walk into the abandoned warehouse. "What'd you find for me, Harls?"

Harley rolled her eyes at the insane man and hoisted her large hammer over her shoulder, not really wanting to see the Joker torture someone who couldn't be older than fourteen.

"Nothin', Puddin'." She answered, sighing as she looked down at herself.

Tight black skinny jeans that were riddled with cuts and dirt, combat boots with chains all around her, a white t-shirt that showed her whole stomach, short black jacket, hair pinned up in pig tails and a domino mask... Just why was she here dressed like this?

"Phooey!" Joker pouted, but still turned towards Speedy, who was growling and hissing out curses. "You should watch your tongue when you're around elders, kid!" He yelled, slapping Speedy with the back of his hand.

Speedy just glared spitefully at the crazed clown, wondering how he could have been so stupid. And, more importantly, where his mentor was.

* * *

**_February 20th 2009:_**

_"Rawr! I'll get ya!" Oliver screamed while wearing a Joker mask, chasing after Wally, whom was wearing a Batman costume._

_"Aaah!" Wally squealed while giggling and running away, not wanting to get caught by the crazed clown._

_The child whizzed by Moira Queen, leaving the woman to glare playfully at her son. "Oliver! Don't scare the poor child!" She scolded, but Oliver only chuckled and nodded._

_"Grandma, can we bake cookies? I want cookies!" Wally suddenly popped up behind Oliver, who picked him up._

_Moira smiled and crossed her arms as they both smiled brightly at her, clearly wanting her renowned chocolate chip cookies._

_"Please?" Both Oliver and Wally pleaded at the same time, making Moira chuckle and nod._

_"Okay. I will."_

* * *

"Okay, Clown. Either you let my kid go or you will know just how much an arrow through the heart hurts." Green Arrow growled as he stood glaring at the Joker, aiming directly at that organ.

The Joker only smiled and tightened his grip on Speedy, the knife on the boy's throat slowly making blood flow.

"Batsy, I thought you never let any other hero in on your turf! I feel betrayed!" The Joker giggled insanely, not really caring about his own life.

Green Arrow sneered as he tightened his grip on the arrow, feeling all of his muscles tense as he prepared to make good on his promise.

"Joker, Arrow's not like Batman! He won't hesitate to put that arrow through you!" Speedy pleaded with the Joker, but the man only shook his head.

"Clearly you don't know heroes, kid! None of them kills!"

Green Arrow's sneer became even deadlier, and not even hearing Batman's growl, steeled his resolve. He let the arrow fly loose, but unfortunately for him, Batman had sensed what he was about to do and pushed him down.

The Joker screamed as the arrow made its home in his arm, blood gushing out of the wound as Speedy somehow got free of the bonds and ran towards Green Arrow.

Batman glared darkly at the archer, but the blonde didn't care. He accepted Speedy's hug enthusiastically, wrapping the boy up and picking him up in a rare moment of joy and carelessness. Screw what Batman thought of him. His kid had almost died!

"What the hell were you thinking, Arrow?" Batman growled as he stalked towards the Joker, kneeling beside him to start treating this wound while the clown whimpered and pouted.

"I was thinking my kid was in the paws of a monster." Green Arrow answered as he got up, holding Speedy's shoulder to assure himself that the boy was still with him. "I don't have any qualms about killing, Batman."

"That's not how I deal with crime in Gotham."

That's when Robin arrived on the scene, analytic eyes scanning the scene with awe and a bit of disgust. He looked towards Batman, and without even having to speak, he turned to the archers.

"Please come with me. I would like to make sure you two are all right."

Speedy cocked an eyebrow at the soft spoken sidekick, shrugged, and turned to his teacher. "Can we?"

Green Arrow's glaring contest with Batman was over, the Bat picking the Joker up to deal with him, and shrugged. "Where are we going?"

"I'll take the Arrow Car. Robin, take these two in the Bat Mobile. Any scratch and it'll be your head."

* * *

**_March 1st, 2009:_**

_The atmosphere was gloomy as all the people around the Queen family mourned the death of their matriarch, the rain falling slowly and almost teasingly._

* * *

Once Green Arrow was sure Speedy was properly treated, Batman pulled him aside to scold the archer. The man clearly did not like this, but only whispered his answers back to not allow the sidekicks in the room to hear their argument.

Robin and Speedy looked over both adults, knowing only that they were angry from their body language, but unsure as to what they were speaking of.

But Robin was clearly more perceptive than Speedy and turned to the red headed boy. "Is your teacher always this angry? I never thought Green Arrow would be so..."

Speedy smiled as the boy drifted off, understanding his curiosity. "I know... February and March... These just aren't his months. Bad things always happen now."

* * *

**_March 1st, 2009:_**

_Wally held onto Oliver's hand... No, _Oliver _held the child's hand tightly, holding onto him as if he were a lifeline. First his father... Then his best friend... Now his mother._

_"Don't be sad, Ollie." Wally's emerald eyes looked up at him with an innocence Oliver never wanted to see gone. "She's in a better place now."_

_That didn't stop the tears from rolling._

**And that's Oliver and Wally's introduction. Who should I formally introduce next, Richard Grayson or Kaldur'ahm?**

**Please review or PM me.**


	3. Chapter 3

Speedy and Robin were quiet after the red head explained his teacher's mood, all the while Batman and Green Arrow continued arguing. Both boys were pretty well behaved, but they were kids. While their mentors continued fighting, Speedy sighed and tapped his foot rapidly, then decided he had had enough of the silence and turned to Robin.

"So, why Robin?" Speedy asked, cocking his head to the side curiously.

The dark skinned boy mimicked his action and cocked his own head to the side, "Why would you want to know?"

Speedy smiled a toothy grin at the other boy, and said, "Well, G.A over there gave me Speedy 'cause I don't sit still and am always quick to draw. How 'bout you? Why Robin?"

Robin frowned slightly at the question, but because he knew his mentor would continue arguing for quite some time, decided that maybe Speedy would be a good friend.

"Well, it all started out in Ireland..."

* * *

_**Spring of 2006:**_

_A young, dark skinned and blonde haired boy ran around a large park in the greenest and least occupied side of Southern Ireland, tucked in one of the smallest villages there. The young boy's gray eyes were sparkling with curiosity and excitement, all the while an elderly woman smiled at the running boy._

_He then suddenly gasped as he looked down at the floor and found a small bird, with gray wings, bright orange chest, and a white belly, lying there in pain._

_He quickly scooped it up in his hands and ran towards his caretaker, the woman sitting up as she saw the young boy run towards her._

_Not a single words passed through their lips as the boy gave her the bird, the elderly woman smiling kindly at the bird in his hands._

_"Oh, Caldur Aindreas..." She whispered, passing a hand through his long hair with a warm smile._

_"Grandma-"_

* * *

"Speedy, come on, we're leaving!" Green Arrow suddenly yelled, cutting into Robin's explanation of his name.

Speedy glared darkly at the blonde, but sighed and nodded. "It really was awesome meeting you." He said, offering the boy his hand. "Hope we meet again, dude."

Robin grasped the hand and nodded, "I hope so too, Speedy."

And with that, both archers left the Bat Cave, allowing Batman to glare coldly at his student. "What were you doing telling him your past?"

Robin just looked up at his teacher, shrugging. "He seems like a good ally to have. I saw no harm in it."

With that Robin left Batman to head up upstairs, leaving the man glaring after him. He should have expected better. Though Robin was well trained, he still had a lot to learn. Like not talking of his past.

But, at least the young boy knew that it was six in the morning, and if he didn't hurry up he would be late to school.

Shaking his head, Batman went towards the Bat Computer, deciding that it would be best if he started tracking down yet another of his villains.

* * *

**Same date, six thirty in the morning, in Central City:**

"Richard Allen-Grayson, you're going to be late to school if you don't hurry up!" Iris Allen yelled up through the staircase in her home, somewhat annoyed at her son's ability to sleep in so late.

"I'm never late, Mom!" Richard yelled back at her, suddenly appearing at the top of the stair case dressed for the day.

The nine year old's bright blue eyes were shining of mischief and excitement. "I have the greatest parents in the world!" He continued, sliding down the hand rail to land beside his mother. "And the awesomest dad that speeds whenever I'm about to be late!"

Iris frowned and crossed her arms, annoyed at how laid back he was, but looked up to see her husband in only underwear, a toothbrush in his mouth with a newspaper in his left hand.

"Barry!" She scolded, making his blue eyes widen in embarrassment.

"What?" He mumbled through the tooth paste in his mouth, making his wife shake her head.

"Get dressed!" She growled, then turned to Richard. "And you! Grab your breakfast right now!"

The boy, knowing better than to anger his mother even more, ran off towards the kitchen, all the while Barry headed back to his room and got dressed.

The man and the boy then stood in front of the door, both smiling widely as Barry showed his car keys to the boy, mischief glinting in both their eyes.

"How much time 'till you have to get to school?" Barry asked, looking down at the boy.

"Ten minutes."

"We have time. What say you we get some ice cream?"

* * *

Richard Allen-Grayson ran down the halls of his elementary school with an ice cream cup in his hand, smiling widely as he ran as fast as he could to reach his homeroom before he was tardy. The small child was known to arriving in places right at the nick of time, somehow managing to be late without being late.

"Richard Allen?" He could hear his teacher call out only two doors down, making him speed up. "Going once..."

His hand reached the door knob. "Going Twice..."

He turned the knob. "Going thr-"

"I'm here, Mrs. Davids!" He interrupted, the door flying open to reveal a shocked young teacher.

"Mr. Allen! How many times have I told you to not slam that door!?" Mrs. Davids scolded the child, who only smirked and shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Davids! But I'm the first one on the list and I barely have any time to slouch around before homeroom! I don't want my Mom grounding because of tardiness!"

The teacher rolled her eyes at his smart answer, then frowned and crossed her arms as she saw the melting ice cream in his hand.

"You're too slow to get to school on time, but not slow enough to not stop for ice cream?" She asked, making the other students in the classroom snicker as Richard looked down at the ice cream soup.

"There was a lot of traffic and my dad wanted ice cream! It's not my fault he has a sweet tooth!"

"Don't you mean your guardian?" Now the classroom bully, Flash Gordon, spoke up, her dark brown eyes glaring at him. "We all know he isn't your father, Circus Trash!"

"Flash! Go to the Principal's office right now!" Mrs. Davids yelled as Richard's mood did a complete 180, making him frown and glare at the cup in his hand.

"Come on, it's nothing new!" Flash tried to weasel his way out of his punishment, but the teacher was having none of it.

"Go to the Principal's office right now, Mr. Gordon. This school has a zero tolerance policy for bullying! Now march!"

Flash growled and he stomped his way through the classroom, bumping into Richard just to spite him some more, then was gone and Mrs. Davids was looking down at Richard with sympathetic eyes.

"I'm sorry, Richard... How about you go to your chair?"

The child didn't say a word, just trudged his way to his assigned seat, throwing out his ice cream because he had lost his appetite.

Mrs. Davids frowned after the poor boy, but only sighed and continued calling out names, passing attendance.

And while she did this, Richard took out his notebook from his backpack and sighed, grabbing a pencil to start drawing there.

Why couldn't just one day pass without him having to be reminded of his real parents?

**Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver Queen sighed as he heard Wally arguing with his bodyguard, the man angry with Wally because he had gotten to his house so late. Ollie tried to explain, but when they both got to arguing, there was no stopping them.

"God, why are you always so angry?! Geez, it's not like I miss school _every _day!" Ollie heard Wally yell at the other man, then he heard a growl of annoyance.

"You're not supposed to miss _any_ day, Wallace!"

"The name's Wally! Get it right!"

Ollie sighed once more, shaking his head as he sat on the staircase. They had arrived from Gotham City thirty minutes ago, which had proved to be too late to take Wally to his school, causing yet another fight between both of them. Ollie had hired the veteran to protect his son but never expected them to fight so much.

"Wallace when you're around me!"

And that started a whole new argument revolving Wally's name, leaving Ollie to wonder just how much these two could bicker.

Fortunately, before he had to hear all of the insults that were going to fly, there was a knock on the front door of his mansion and he was eagerly walking towards it.

Ollie opened the large oak door, only to find the one man he had been hoping would be there.

"Howdy, Oliver!" Greg Saunders greeted with a large smile, tipping his hat forward while Ollie smiled back at him.

"Hey, Greg! Come on in!"

The Westerner just kept smiling as he entered the mansion, tipping his hat upwards while whistling loudly, looking all around the large home.

"Fancy digs yuh got here, Ollie!" He gasped, making Ollie shake his head with a smile.

"You've been here ten times before, Greg. You don't have to say the same thing every time you enter."

"Is that Greg?"

"Get back here, you trouble maker!"

There was a crash, a scream of pain, and suddenly Wally was in the main hall, running towards both men with a large smile.

"Mr. Badass!" The eleven year old gasped, somehow jumping onto the adult and latching onto his neck. "How was the recording session? Are we going to finally hear your debut?"

Greg chuckled and shook his head as he allowed the boy to cling to him, but still faced Ollie. "Wasn't the littlun supposed ta be at school?"

Ollie smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head now, "Well, he was _supposed_ to be there..."

"Mr. Queen?"

Now Wally's bodyguard, a large man with pale skin, close cropped blonde hair, and stunning blue eyes stood in the doorway of the kitchen, clutching his bleeding arm. "I may be needing to go to the hospital..."

The large man had a barely heard German accent, and wore a tight white shirt with black pants and gloves, making the blood contrast even more when against the shirt and his skin.

"Wally!" Ollie growled, angered at seeing the man bleeding. "Ludwig is here to protect you, not to be your personal punching bag!"

Wally chuckled nervously, now sliding from Greg's back and hiding behind him, knowing he was in trouble. Greg shook his head with a barely seen smirk, wondering just why Ollie had a man to protect the little guy.

"Come on, Ludwig," Ollie turned to the man, who was clenching his jaw tightly in pain. "Greg, can you look after Wally for a while? I don't think it'd be safe for me to be in the same room as him."

Greg only nodded and watched both blondes leave, then turned to the kid left in his charge. Crossing his arms, he cocked his eyebrow. "Why did yuh hurt the poor German?"

Wally pouted and crossed his own arms, looking a lot like a spoiled brat. "We were arguing about my name once more, then about school, then about anything that came to mind when you got here. I got so happy that I ran off, accidentally knocking a vase off it's stand and I guess he tried to catch it..."

Greg observed the preteen, then nodded when he was sure Wally wasn't lying to him. "Yuh know, I don't get why Ollie keeps him 'round. Seems like he only gets hurt by the person he's s'possed ta protect."

Wally now looked down at the rug, rubbing his foot against it. "It's not that I don't like him... We just... argue all the time..."

Greg shook his head, but looked up when there was a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Wally asked him, but the man only shrugged.

It couldn't have been _her_, right? He had dropped her off at school before getting here.

"Gregory Saunders, I know you're in here! Open this damned door 'fore I break it!"

Wally quirked an eyebrow at him all the while Greg sighed and let his head fall. "Who's that?"

"Open up!"

Shaking his head, Greg started walking towards the door. "So, Wally, wanna meet your new friend?"

* * *

**November 14th, 2009:**

It was a peaceful night in the middle of the desert in Arizona, starts and a full moon the only light in the middle of the large stretch of road. Not an animal stirred as the moon reached its' peak, making this an extremely peaceful night.

Well, that was until a shooting star suddenly streaked through the sky... But this star was not like the rest. No, instead of leaving as soon as it came and crossing the sky, it seemed to be hurtling _towards_ the Earth. A lone coyote stared at the object with beady eyes, but suddenly yelped and ran when it saw it _crash _into the ground in front of it.

Running out of the object's path, the coyote blinked in shock as it came to stop right in front of him, smoking and slightly red because of its' entrance into orbit.

The animal slowly neared the thing, and... Well... It wasn't a star, that's for sure. It was sleek and metallic in a spherical shape, but it had no windows and it cooled down pretty fast.

The coyote pawed at it, trying to check if it was food, but suddenly smoke shot out of the craft, a door that wasn't there before opening and causing the animal to jump back in fright.

From the insides, a very weird, somewhat humanoid looking... _thing_ walked out, no clothes on, pointy headed, lanky, and green skinned. The alien looked around his surroundings, with curious black eyes, then his eyes fell on the coyote.

He leaned down towards the animal, looking at it in suspicion, and tried to touch it with its' long fingers. The animal took off running before anything could happen, leaving the alien staring after it with an expressionless face. But, the thing straightened up and looked at the road.

He suddenly started to float, and in less than a second, becoming invisible and his ship disintegrated... Leaving no traces of his sudden arrival except for the large trail the ship had left because of its crash landing.

And the night went back to its peaceful and calm self, as if nothing out of the world had happened mere minutes ago.

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Caldur Aindreas walked down the extremely busy streets of Gotham with his large backpack dragging him down, leaving the twelve year old frustrated with the school system.

Why must one have so much homework if he had the top mark in his whole class? Why did the teachers seem to want to thrust even more homework on him when they already knew he was the best they had?

The dark skinned boy was quite a rarity to see in the streets of Gotham. With his close cropped blonde hair and dark skin, he was a rarity among the whole population, but his gray eyes that seemed to hold years of wisdom separated him even further.

In the Gotham Academy, his looks seemed to make many adults gravitate towards him with amazement, but they also made him a freak when around his companions.

And the fact he wore a high collared shirt all the time didn't seem to help him whenever bullies neared him...

Caldur sighed as he looked up at Gotham's murky and polluted skies, feeling a pang of loneliness as he remembered the clear and beautiful skies of his birth land, Ireland.

But with his memories of the landscape came memories of his childhood and the pain he fought through until he somehow made his way into Bruce Wayne's grasp, a moment of his life that he still did not if it was a good or bad thing.

Caldur shook his head as the memories seemed to hit him full force, trying to get through the walk to his home without having a break down. Twelve years old, paranoid, mentally broken... Those three things should never go together.

"I believe I am just _lucky_ then..." He sighed sarcastically to himself, hoisting the backpack higher onto his shoulder as he looked in front of him.

As the buildings became scarcer and more beautiful, Caldur felt a bit of happiness rise in him. About thirty more minutes and he would be back home... A safe harbor where he knew Alfred would be waiting with his cookies...

* * *

"Ah, she's scary, Greg! Make the evil witch go away!"

Greg sighed as Wally cowered behind him, the object of Wally's new found fear standing in front of them both, the oak doors completely open behind her.

"Greg, why's the idiot cowering?" The blonde haired girl asked, her light gray eyes glaring at the red head.

"Artemis, didn't Ah leave yuh at school?" Greg asked in an irritated tone, making the girl shrug her shoulders.

Wally quirked an eyebrow at this, noting how the girl was not dressed in any kind of way that would be accepted in any school. Ripped skinny jeans that were also filled with piercings, blood red cowboy boots, tattered shirt that let her whole stomach be seen, dirty leather jacket, biker gloves, piercings on her ears, and long blonde hair with various streaks of colors invading it...

"Greg, aren't you a country star?" Wally whispered, making Greg turn to him with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yer darn tootin', Wally! Why do yuh ask that?"

Now the boy looked up at him with wide green eyes, fear inside. "Then why are you hanging out with a punk rocker?" He whispered, making the girl scoff as she crossed her arms.

"Who is this dolt, anyways, Greg? I thought you were going to meet up with Ollie and get the information on Bugsy."

Greg sighed and rubbed his face with his hand, then pointed at the girl. "Artemis, yer s'pposed ta be at school. Wally's s'possed ta be there too. Why don't y'all head out together?"

Now both kids looked at the man as if he were crazy, making him shrug. "Yer both eleven... Yuh both go ta the same school..."

"We don't go to the same school, Greg." Wally interrupted, eyeing Artemis warily. "I'm pretty sure of it..."

The girl rolled her eyes, but chose to ignore the red head and turned to Greg. "I don't need school, Greg. You know that. Now, how about instead of just lounging around here, we go out and capture the son of a bitch named Siegel?"

Greg's eyebrow clearly twitched at her words and his whole demeanor changed from somewhat annoyed to extremely angry. "How many times have Ah told yuh ta stay out of this, Artemis? Yer goin' ta get yerself hurt if yuh keep tryin' ta butt in!"

Artemis didn't back down as his anger clearly grew, she instead scoffed and looked out the open door. "This guy has a pretty nice mansion. Why is it that we're here and he's not?"

Greg breathed heavily at Artemis' demeanor, but before he could even try to hurt the girl, his phone rang, jolting him out of his murderous thoughts.

"Howdy?" He asked in a tense voice as he glared at Artemis.

The rowdy girl was now looking all over the house with her hands in her leather jacket, her collar popped up to make her look even more rebellious. Wally just stared at Greg in silent curiosity, wondering just why the girl was here and why she had gotten to him so easily.

"Nah, Ollie. Ah don't mind bringin' the runt ta yuh. Ah just hope yuh don't mind meetin' _my_ own ward... Yeah, I got one... Artemis, the annoyin' street urchin, remember?" Greg spoke into the phone, managing to make Artemis glare darkly at him.

"Yuh don't mind at all? Okay, Ah'll take 'em both ta the hospital... Don't worry 'bout it, it's not like they were goin' ta school anyways." Greg chuckled, then hung up and took a step back, looking at both of the kids in front of him. "How's 'bout a small road trip?"

* * *

**November 17, 2009:**

A tall, young dark skinned man walked down the almost deserted streets of Mesa City, The Sonoran Desert a few miles away being his destination. It was, once again, almost midnight with the stars and moon shining brightly, allowing some light to hit the face of the man.

He was of muscular build, but; oddly enough; wore a large brown trench coat and fedora hat, obscuring most of his body on purpose.

As he reached the outskirts of the town and neared the Desert, the man looked around himself; to make sure that no one was nearby to look upon him; and suddenly started transforming. His clothing seemed to be absorbed into his skin as it turned dark green, his hat turning into his skull.

Once his transformation was done, he no longer wore baggy clothing and had completely changed. Now he was slightly taller than before, muscular, and _green_. His large lips were replaced by no lips, his mouth was in a tight frown, and his eyes didn't have pupils... Nor iris... What were the cavities for eyes were now completely red, _blood_ red.

His brown trench coat had been replaced by a dark blue cape, and his shirt and pants by a tight black body suit, a red X crossing over his chest and a red belt on his waist.

The alien looked up at sky in thought, seemed to... _concentrate_ on something, then started floating, drifting deep into the Sonoran Desert, eyes narrowed in clear determination.

Hours passed until he found what he had been looking for, a secret underground bunker where he heard _thousands_ of tiny voices, screaming and begging for his help.

After seeing what he had been looking for, the alien somehow vanished, leaving the dawn to break over the Sonoran Desert in complete serenity.

**Poor Caldur... Don't you just want to know what he's talking about? And, ha! Artemis is a complete badass here! Can you tell who the alien is?**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Richard Allen-Grayson frowned as he kept his hands in his pockets on his commute back to his house, the rest of the fourth graders around him joking and smiling and just making his mood worsen. He had to get to his house extra early today; apparently his 'parents' had some surprise for him today; but he just continued dragging his feet on the sidewalk.

He didn't have many friends, just a fifth grader named James Jesse and another fourth grader named Hartley Rathaway, and he actually wasn't allowed to hang out with them. Their friendship was one for the school playground only, his parents making him stay away from them the rest of the time.

"Hey, Dicky Bird!"

Richard turned around in annoyance, seeing how he really hated that nick name, but allowed himself a small smile when he saw both James and Hartley running towards him.

James Jesse was a tall and lanky ten year old, with bright blonde hair that always seemed to be sticking up in odd angles no matter how much one tried to tame it, stormy blue eyes and a grin as bright as the sun.

Hartley Rathaway, on the other hand, was a quiet and small boy, his neatly combed red hair the complete opposite of their friend's locks. His blue eyes were much like Richard's own, but a bit duller. And, the one thing that set him apart the most from his friends, he wore extremely advanced hearing aids paid for by his extremely rich parents.

"Wait for us!"

Hartley rolled his eyes as Jesse yelled once more, making a few children stop and stare at them along with their parents.

When both boys finally caught up with Richard, they continued walking forward, Hartley humming peacefully as Jesse poked Richard's arm.

"So..." Jesse began, making Richard roll his eyes. "How's life been?"

Hartley smiled at Jesse's attempt at small talk, but did not offer Richard any way out. "How _was_ your day, Dicky? I heard Flash got himself a suspension because of bullying..."

Richard noted that for their age, the three of them were pretty advanced, Hartley being able to put two and two together in a sentence before some adults could even get the first two. And Jesse, though an airhead at times, was extremely gifted in science and mathematics, giving him a top spot in the honor roll of the fifth grade.

And Richard... Well... He was just gifted all around, making him an even bigger target for the bullies of the elementary school.

"Flash was being a jerk again," Richard sighed, looking up at Jesse. "Reminded me of my biological parents."

At this he looked down at the floor, feeling the tears stinging his eyes. Jesse and Hartley both looked at one another over Richard's shoulders, and nodding to each other, Jesse wrapped an arm around the smaller boy.

"Hey, Richard, would you like to see something cool? I'm pretty sure it'll cheer you up in less than a minute!"

Richard looked at his friend with wary eyes, but then he felt Hartley's hand enter his own, making him look at the smaller boy. "... It's pretty cool..."

And, knowing that Hartley was never the kind to touch you unless it was important, Richard beamed. "Okay... I'm pretty sure my parents can wait a few minutes."

* * *

Artemis and Wally sat in Star General Hospital's waiting room, glaring at one another as they waited for their... Dads? To come back.

"So, why is it that we're here?" Artemis asked with her arms crossed, gray eyes glaring straight at Wally's own green ones.

Both kids clearly didn't like one another.

"My bodyguard cut his arm trying to be Spider Man and catch a falling vase. And I'm pretty sure Ollie and Greg are talking business in the other room." Wally shrugged, glaring back at her.

Artemis snorted at his answer, but looked up when the doors to the Operation Room opened, Ollie, Greg, and another large blonde man walking out.

Both Ollie and Greg were clearly stressed and annoyed, while the large man's face was completely neutral, looking at her with no emotions.

"So you'll be leaving me with them both?" The man asked, all the while they stopped in front of the kids.

Now that he was closer, Artemis could see the man's right arm heavily bandaged, along with a bit of his left.

"I'm sorry, Ludwig. I know that you would've liked some time away from the Devil Himself," Ollie glared sharply at Wally, making the boy chuckle and look away. "But Greg and I have some business to catch up on. The kind that we can't bring either Wally or Artemis along."

Ludwig nodded, understanding just why they couldn't take the children, then glared down at Wally. "One more accident like this..." He leaned down, face directly in front of Wally's. "And you really will regret having me here."

Artemis chuckled at the ginger's scared face, all the while Greg and Ollie smiled.

"Well, time ta get goin'. See yuh later, filly." Greg said, turning to Artemis. "Do everythin' Ludwig tells yuh or yer never accopanyin' me again, got it?"

Artemis only looked at him with a nonchalant face, making Greg shake his head. "Yer not s'pposed ta be a teenager yet..."

With that Ollie clapped the man's back and shook hands with Ludwig, then both men were off, leaving Artemis with Ludwig and Wally.

Oh joy...

* * *

**November 20th, 2009:**

For days the alien appeared and disappeared in the underground lab, making some scientists jump in fright when they saw him, only to double check when they didn't see him anymore.

This was an underground Cadmus Lab, home to thousands of alien like creatures that were experimented on by humans, and object of curiosity for this certain alien. The green man seemed to appear whenever the little creatures roaming in Cadmus were alone, and they seemed to speak without moving their mouths, just... gazing into each other's eyes...

This night would be the second night since the creature arrived, and now one could find him in the lowest level of the Lab, the floor labeled Kr, walking down it until he arrived at a large, metallic door labeled with the same two letters.

_"He's in there... Please, J'onn, save him. Take him far away from here... Far away from the clutches of these diabolical humans."_

The alien; apparently named J'onn; didn't even flinch at these words, but still walked straight through the door, bright red eyes widening when he saw just what the small creature that communicated with him telepathically was talking about.

In front of him in a pod was a young boy with jet black hair and skin tight, white suit, a creature perched a top of his pod and looking at J'onn.

_"You have to take me with you. The boy will not adapt any other way."_

J'onn nodded at the G-Gnome, slowly stepping towards the young boy's pod. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but J'onn knew better.

Looking around, he found a pad that was connected to the pod, and he ripped it apart, making the pod slowly open, letting out a hiss of air as it did so.

The young boy's eyes widened in shock and fear, bright blue irises looking around in agitation. As he breathed rapidly, wondering what was going on, a calm green face suddenly appeared in front of him, his G-Gnome in the hands of the alien.

_"Kon-El. You are safe now."_

**And it really was J'onn! Anyways, I know that Superboy's supposed to be stuck in the age of sixteen, but not in my story! Can you guess who Richard's friends are?**

**Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

"How was your day, Caldur?" Bruce Wayne asked as he sat down in the dining room table opposite to the small boy, who had his backpack beside him and his homework strewn all over the long table.

The boy looked up from his book, _Animal Farm_, and looked at Bruce, who was smiling at the scene before him. Papers, notebooks, and pencils were all around Caldur, this being the boy's ritual every day after school before Alfred served dinner.

"It was okay, Mr. Wayne." Caldur shrugged, then looked down at the book in his hand, shaking his head. "I feel sorry for Boxer. Why did Napoleon have to ship him away?"

Bruce chuckled at the boy's question, then leaned over the table and plucked the book out of his grasp. "Aren't you a bit young to be reading this?"

Caldur's face remained neutral as Bruce shifted through the book, "Aren't you a bit old to be so immature?"

Bruce's smile widened at the boy's answer, then closed the book and set it down beside him. Caldur rolled his eyes and started picking up all of his school supplies, already used to this routine. Bruce would always tear him away from his homework with light banter or by snatching him away, giving Caldur the signal to pick everything up because Alfred was just about to serve the food.

Two minutes after Caldur threw his backpack underneath the table and Bruce gave him back his back, Alfred entered the dining room with a large tray, carrying two plates of food.

"Aren't you going to join us, Mr. Pennyworth?" Caldur asked as Alfred set the plate in front of him, Bruce smiling at Caldur's generosity.

"I have explained this to you many times before, Master Caldur. I eat before Master Wayne gets home, while you work in your study. And if I am not able to do so, I eat after." Alfred explained once more, all the while Bruce smiled at them both.

It was interesting to see two people that were so nice and respecting interacting, it seemed like there was always a quiet war whenever they talked.

"Alfred, come on, join us for once." Bruce told his lifelong friend, who only rolled his eyes.

But he was still smiling warmly. "At least let me fetch some food for myself."

* * *

**Present time, Sonoran Desert outside of Mesa City, Arizona:**

"Kon-El! Time for practice!" J'onn J'onzz called out, walking around his small house in his natural form, red eyes looking around for his charge.

"Do we have to, Pops?" Suddenly Kon-El was standing in front of the green alien, hugging his best friend, the very G-Gnome J'onn had taken with Kon-El. "Tony and I are tired of so much practice!"

J'onn felt something warm rise in his chest as he saw the child's bright smile, then looked down at the G-Gnome in the boy's arms and knelt before them. He was so tall that even down on his knees he was still a bit taller than the child, giving Kon-El even more reason to call him his father.

"Would you like to go out for ice cream? I am pretty sure that the Station has another case for me. Maybe I could buy you some after we leave the Station."

Kon-El smiled brightly and nodded at the alien's words, then looked down at the creature in his hands. "Hear that, Tony? Ice cream for both of us!"

J'onn's usually stoic face warmed into a smile as the G-Gnome's horns glowed brightly, clearly also excited to head down into town and get ice cream.

"But you know how we go into town, Kon-El. Get dressed and dress Tony like a toy. I do not want a repetition of the last time we went."

Kon-El blushed as he remembered the small girl that had tugged on Tony's arm and had incited his anger, but still nodded and ran off to his room, straight to his closet to pick out the clothes he wanted them both to wear.

While Kon-El did this, J'onn morphed into his human self, a detective for the Arizona police named John Jones, and walked one of the windows in his home, looking up at the distant blue sky.

_"The invasion is coming."_

J'onn frowned at Tony's voice in his head, but sighed and nodded.

_"These so called heroes... They worry me."_

_"They are our only choice. You must gather them all and get them to help. If not, the fate of the Earth is sealed."_

J'onn's frow deepened at Tony's words, feeling the extreme weight that was now on his shoulders. What had happened to his old home, Mars... He did not want to see the same happen to this planet. Earth was too young for its' light to be snuffed out so soon.

_"This Superman... Does he know of his son?"_

Tony sighed in his head, making J'onn's dread increase. _"Lex Luthor did an exceptionally well job of hiding Cadmus Labs. If Superman ever sees Kon-El, I am not sure as to how he will react."_

"Dad, we're ready!"

J'onn turned around and looked down as Kon-El ran into the room, wearing a plain black shirt along with blue jeans and red sneakers, Tony disguised as a soldier complete with hard helmet.

Even with the dread that his past conversation had given him, J'onn smiled as the boy ran straight into his arms, hugging the man tightly to him.

"I love you, Dad!"

* * *

**December 24th, 2001**

"You will regret this, _Princess Diana_!" The magician known as Zatara spit out as he lay beaten and bloodied on the floor of his dressing room, a strong, black haired woman standing before him with his daughter of barely a whole year in her arms.

"You will become a drunk, Zatara! So the Fates have seen!" The woman growled back with steely eyes, then looked down at the young girl in her arms with a soft smile. "With your wife gone, your daughter must learn the mystical arts from _real_ Homo Magi!"

Zatara hissed in pain as he shifted around, just _knowing_ that some of his ribs were broken, "You are making a grave mistake, Princess! Zatanna is my daughter! She must be taught by her father!"

Diana glared down at the pitiful man below her and shook her head, stepping forward to slowly step on his hand.

"Men are weak. A beautiful child such as this will not be taught to be weak... Look where you are now, and where _I_ am, magician!"

Zatara screamed in agony as he heard the crunch from his hand, the baby in Diana's arms beginning to cry loudly at the sudden noice.

"Do not make her cry!"

Suddenly Diana had kicked Zatara's face hard enough to turn him over, making him silence as he finally lost consciousness.

After making sure the man was out of it Diana turned to the child in her arms, cooing and smiling. "How would you like to come home with me, young warrior?"

* * *

**Present time, Gotham City**

"Hey, Old Man!"

Zatara sighed in annoyance and hurt as he was ripped from his memories by a loud and obnoxious voice, making him wonder just why he had taken the young boy in.

"What is it, Todd?" He called as he pushed away from his desk, a vodka bottle clinging as his chair hit it.

"I'm going on a food run, want anything?"

Now a young and somewhat annoyed boy burst into his study, hair completely back excluding the large white strand that was the entirety of his bangs. The boy was mildly tan with bright green eyes, clothes tattered and ripped as befitted the youth of Gotham's lower classes.

Zatara stared at him thoughtfully for a while in thought, then sat up and motioned him forward. "Come Jason. Come."

The young boy quirked an eyebrow at him but still walked forward, curious as to what Zatara would say to him.

"You wanted to learn the magical arts, correct?"

At this question Jason's eyes widened and he nodded abruptly, straightening up. Maybe this would finally be his chance to learn something!

Zatara looked at him thoughtfully, "First, we must trace your family. I must know if your are Homo Magi, like myself."

Jason cocked his head to the side, for he didn't know what Zatara meant by that, but still smiled as he looked at the man.

"I don't know what that means, Old Dude, but you won't regret teaching me at all!"

**So... Yeah, Wonder Woman's kind of evil in this story. Why? Cause I was inspired by the movie 'Flashpoint'. She's evil there. And Jason Todd just _has_ to be in my story... So... Yeah.**

**Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**February 17th, 2010:**

Artemis groaned as she rolled over on the sofa of Oliver Queen's mansion for what seemed like the hundredth time, the fastest annoyance on the planet- Wally Queen West- quickly changing the channels as his body guard- the biggest albino gorilla Artemis had ever seen in her life- did some job or another in his office.

"What's wrong with you?" Wally asked as he looked at the blonde, but still somehow managed to continue changing channels.

Artemis glared at him, then rolled of the couch and stood in front of him, planting her hands on her hips.

The red headed boy sighed as her glare became even more intense, shut the TV off and looked up at her, throwing his arms up in the arm. "What?!"

Artemis continued frowning, moving her hands from her hips and crossing her arms. "Aren't you the least bit worried about Greg and Ollie? They've been gone for two days now; no word from them!"

Wally sighed and rolled his eyes at Artemis' words. He got up from the couch and placed both hands on her shoulders, her glare darkening. "They're both okay, Arty."

She growled at the nickname, having already warned him that she hated it, but the boy continued speaking. "Ollie's a master archer with a quick mouth that seems to; somehow; always get him out of trouble. And Greg's just as awesome."

With that he retracted his hands and crossed his own arms, smirking. "Besides, the fact that they haven't called yet is good news. Their trail on Bugsy is real."

Artemis grounded her teeth and clenched her fists tightly but granted the boy the victory, for once admitting that his logic was a bit less flawed than before. Then she sat down on the sofa once more and snatched the controller, making Wally groan.

"I was watching that!"

"... Shut up, Baywatch."

* * *

"Whoah! This is so cool, you guys!" Richard gasped with wide eyes as he saw James floating around with anti-gravity shoes, Hartley sitting beside him on the large crate in an abandoned house in one of the shadier parts of Central City.

"I know, right?!" James agreed, performing back flips and front flips and all kinds of tricks to entertain his best friends.

"How did you guys even find this place?" Richard asked in awe, looking around the house.

It was dilapidated and broken down, with chunks of the walls breaking off and falling, dust and dirt covering everything, and broken furniture all around. It was an ideal place for the trouble makers.

"Why is the Allen brat here?"

James's eyes widened in shock at the new voice and his concentration on flying broke, making the boy come crashing down to the floor. Richard quickly ran to him to make sure he was okay, but Hartley stayed sitting on the crate, fearful face explaining everything.

In the door of the house stood a tall and brown haired man, dark sunglasses covering his eyes and two more men flanking him. The one in the middle wore a displeased frown while the man to his left shook his head and the one to his right smiled slightly.

"We just wanted to cheer him up, Mr. Snart! We didn't show him any of our secrets, promise!" James quickly blubbered out as he got up, running towards the men in front of him with pleading eyes. "Don't freeze him!"

"Freeze?" Richard repeated, eyebrows furrowing in though.

The man that had smiled smacked James upside the head, all the while glaring. "You idiot!" This man had red hair and blue eyes, a blue coat and spoke with an Australian accent.

"Geez, you could have said that louder, James. I don't think Australia heard you." The last man spoke up, making Richard cock his head to the side in confusion.

This man was bald with blue eyes and he was glaring down at the boys in front of him.

"Who are you?" Richard finally asked, making the men's scolding of his friends stops.

The main man; the guy with the glasses; looked up at Richard and smirked evilly, an evil idea suddenly forming in his mind.

"Your worst nightmare."

* * *

"This is a good lead, he said. I'll finally get my revenge on the son of a bitch, he growled. Well look where we are now Vig! Because of you and your stupid leads!"

"Stop whining, Arrow! Sound worse than Artemis on her time of the month right now..."

Green Arrow growled at his cowboy friend as they both crouched behind a giant crate in an abandoned warehouse in the Warehouse District of Gotham City, bullets raining on them as the maniacal man named the Joker laughed at their misfortunes.

"That's for taking Speedy Boy before I could have my fun with him!" Joker yelled as he suddenly took the pin off a grenade, throwing it right in front of the men.

Green Arrow and Vigilante both stared at the weapon, "... I hate you, Vig."

Then the grenade blew up.

Somehow, both heroes managed to jump out of the way of the explosion, but were now in the open with Joker's goons shooting at them.

"Love yuh too, Arrow!" Vigilante yelled over the gun shots as he started running, his own revolvers drawn and shooting at anything that was over them.

Green Arrow ground his teeth together as he let arrow after arrow fly at the henchmen, running hurriedly to find new cover.

"We're going to need a miracle to get out of this one..." He muttered to himself, jumping to hide behind a giant Jack in the Box and breathing heavily.

Vigilante sighed in relief as he hid behind a giant Clown Car in the other side of the warehouse, somewhat annoyed at the clown they were facing. They were supposed to have found Busy Siegel transporting drugs in here, not the Joker waiting to ambush them.

"Dammit... The Bat's goin' ta kill us." His eyes widened at this realization, the fact that Batman was super protective of Gotham dawning on him just then.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" The Joker sang menacingly, looking down from his perch on the steel structure in the middle of the warehouse. "I just want to play Russian Roulette with you! Six bullets in the revolver! What'd you say?"

Green Arrow rolled his eyes at the man's madness, then looked to the side to try to find his companion. When he couldn't find Vigilante, he sighed in exasperation. Just leave it to Vig to leave you when you needed him the most.

"Come out, come- ack!"

The blonde quirked an eyebrow at the sound that Joker emanated, wondering what he was playing at now, but found that more screams followed and the rain of bullets let up.

Green Arrow slowly got up after a few minutes of complete silence in the warehouse, only to gasp and jump back in surprise at what he saw before him.

A kid! Raising a Clown Car over his head, aiming it straight at all of the Clowns!

But that wasn't enough, there was a tap on his shoulder and he swiveled around rapidly, only to find Vigilante with a green man standing beside him.

"Guess we got that miracle!"

**Sorry if it seems rushed, my brother's a jerk right now.**

**But, please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

Green Arrow stared at Vigilante and the green man in shock and bewilderment.

"Uh, Vig?"

The cowboy only seemed to smile at the blonde, seemingly unfazed at the man beside him, "Yeah, Arrow?"

"... W-who's this?"

"Dad! The clown's all passed out before I could tie them up? What do I do?"

Suddenly the small child that had previously been holding a car was in front of the men, allowing Green Arrow to take a good look at him.

He clearly wasn't any older than Wally, had extremely bright blue eyes, almost alien if you asked Ollie, short black hair and wore a white skin tight suit with an 'S' shield on it, making him seem way too much like the Meta Freak of Metropolis, Superman.

"Kon-El, these are two of the heroes Tony and I were talking about,"

Green Arrow was extremely shocked when the green man started speaking _English_, but before he could say anything to make him seem too stupid, Greg punched him and silenced him.

"Green Arrow," The man motioned to the archer, who smiled uneasily at the boy and waved. "And the Vigilante."

Vigilante tipped his hat as a greeting, then thrust his hand towards the other man. "An' what might yer name be, pardner?"

"He's Martian Manhunter!" Kon-El piped up before the green man could speak to himself, smiling brightly at the men. "And we need your help!"

Vigilante and Green Arrow looked at one another after the boy spoke, all the while Martian Manhunter sighed quietly and softly shook his head. If only his child were a bit more patient...

* * *

The Wayne Manor was usually quiet at this time of night. But not because its' occupants were asleep. No, at this time of night one would not find Bruce Wayne, or his son, Caldur Aindreas. No, if one were to knock on the grand doors of Wayne Manor at this time, they would be greeted by a cynical, British butler who denied any kind of entry.

But, that was to expected. Seeing how at this time of night one would find Bruce and Caldur roaming the streets of Gotham, striking terror into the hearts of any villain they could find.

Unfortunately, even though his master was out and about, Alfred was stuck in the house to tend to whichever uninvited guest arrived. It wasn't usual to have anyone knock on his door, but whenever someone did, it always proved to be... _interesting_.

Just as Alfred mused about this, there was a loud knock on the front door, hurried as if the person that had done it was desperate.

Alfred groaned as he stood up from his bed, feeling his bones groan in protest. He wasn't as young as he once was. And the stress taking care of Master Wayne placed over him was not helping his old age.

"I am coming." The British man called as heard yet another knock, this one even louder and faster than the last.

"Please, open up! It is important!" An aged male voice called from outside, making Alfred sighed.

Another of _those_.

"Please wait a tick," Alfred called as he made his way down the stairs, wrapping his robe tightly around his body while making sure his sleep hat was aligned correctly.

Once he opened the door, the word shocked wasn't enough to explain how he felt at seeing the face of the man he had thought he would never see again.

"M-Master Zatara?" He gasped out, the man on the other side of the door looking at him with uneasy eyes.

The man was tall, but taller than Alfred by an inch, with black hair that had small amounts of white in it and dull blue eyes, along with a small mustache and a top hat that reminded Alfred a lot of his youth in England.

"Ah, Alfred." Zatara breathed out, smiling a halfhearted smile. "Bruce has kept you around?"

Alfred hid the indignation he felt at the question very well, instead looking down at the young boy Zatara had with him. He was a lanky young boy, with normally tanned skin, tattered clothing, and black hair. Everything about the boy was normal; even the slightly rare green eyes; except for something very important. A streak of white in his bangs.

"Who's the Brit, Old Man?" The green eyed youth smirked up at Zatara, most probably amused by the perceptible twitch to Zatara's eyebrow.

"This is an old friend of mine, Jason. Alfred Pennyworth." Zatara slightly growled, then looked up at Alfred. "Alfred, my good man, this is my apprentice, Jason Todd."

Alfred bowed at the young boy, making Jason chuckle in an amused manner, but the boy quickly sobered up and crossed his arms. "Why are we here, Oldie? I thought we were going to find out if I was a magical monkey."

Alfred cocked an eyebrow at the boy's words, turning to Zatara with questioning eyes, but the other man only shook his head while sighing.

"Homo Magi, Jason. Not magical monkey..." Zatara sighed, then turned to Alfred once more. "I am sorry for the late night visit, Alfred, but I did not know how much Bruce would like my arrival in the day time."

"Is there anything I can do for you, Master Zatara?" Alfred asked in an unamused manner.

Zatara nodded, "I would like to use the Bat Computer. I must find Jason's family tree."

Alfred's eyes widened at his words and he took a step back, shocked at his request. "I-I am sorry, Master Zatara, but-"

Zatara sighed and raised his hand to be leveled with Alfred's eyes, _"Uoy lliw wolla su ot esu eht retupmoc."_

Alfred's blue eyes became glassy as the magic took its effect, leaving him in a zombie like state as he moved to the side. "Of course, master~" He breathed, holding the door open to allow Jason and Zatara to pass.

Jason smiled wickedly at this turn of events, poking Alfred's unmoving arm as if to test something out. "Cool! That's the awesomest thing I've seen you do, Old Man!" He complimented Zatara's work, making the man shake his head.

"Then you better be prepared to be amazed if you find that 'awesome'." Zatara warned, walking straight towards Bruce's study. "I hope you can forgive me for this, old friend."

* * *

"Wally, I'm back!" Oliver yelled into his mansion in the middle of the night, earning a punch to his arm from Greg. "What was that for, Greg?"

"What if Artemis is asleep, yuh idjit? She's goin' ta kill us if she was!"

Their newest companion, the Martian Manhunter, only stared stoically at the men's interaction with one another, not amused nor interested as the men started to bicker.

"Ollie?"

The question stopped Ollie from punching Greg's face, making the men turn towards the main hallway with Ollie clutching Greg's shirt collar harshly. Standing before them was Wally in nothing but pajama bottoms, while Artemis slowly walked towards them, wearing a large shirt that seemed to have come from Ludwig and her underwear.

"What are yuh wearin'?" Greg suddenly freaked out at seeing the blonde in that state of dress, ripping himself from Ollie's grasp and running towards the girl, ripping off his jacket to throw it on her.

Artemis glared harshly at him, but just ignored him and turned to Ollie and the newest man in the room, curious as to who the green skinned man was.

"Who's the Alien?" Wally asked rather bluntly, making Ollie chuckle nervously at his lack of compassion.

"Wally, be nice." He hissed, quickly turning to Martian Manhunter. "He's sleepy. He's not usually this mean to others."

"I understand." The green man muttered, red eyes falling upon the red headed boy. "But now is not a moment for introductions. I must tell you what is going on and be on my way. I have to warn the others."

Ollie nodded at this, then sighed and turned the kids in the room. "Go to the dining room. Now."

**Please review. Come on, your reviews inspire me! I _need_ inspiration!**


	10. Chapter 10

Batman glared at the intruders of his Bat cave, Robin standing beside him with his head cocked to the side, curious as to why a teenager and a man that he knew not of were searching through the database of the Bat Computer.

"Zatara..." Batman growled, white slits forming a glare as he slowly made his way towards the magician.

The rapid typing that had filled the silence in the cave stopped abruptly, the intruders finally alerted of the presence of the real owners of the Computer they were using. Zatara stiffened completely as soon as he heard his name, fingers poised over the keys he was about to press.

"What are you doing here?" Batman asked as he suddenly appeared beside Zatara and Jason, making the boy jump in shock.

"How did you get there so fast?" Jason gasped, taking a step back only to gasp when he hit a body that was behind him. "What the-?"

"I believe breaking and entering is a crime..." A younger voice behind Jason piped up, making the boy squeak once more and swivel around.

Standing in front of him was none other than the youngest crime fighter in Gotham, Robin. Jason gasped at the sight of the smaller boy before him, but quickly regained his wits and shook his head. "And sneaking up on people is _rude_." Jason remarked, crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out.

Robin quirked an eyebrow at the other boy's response, then looked towards Batman, who was leaning over the adult intruder's frame.

"Zatara, just what do you think you're doing here? Have you resorted to thievery?" Batman glared darkly at his old friend.

Zatara glared up with equal emotions, standing up abruptly to stand toe to toe with the Bat. "You very well know, _Bruce_, that I would never resort to such tactics! I may be broke and I may drink, but I would _never_ steal!"

Batman stared at him suspiciously, then looked towards the Computer's screen. "Jason Todd?" He asked, voice showing that he was somewhat intrigued.

"What do you want, Old Man?" Jason rudely asked, turning to the adults while Robin shook his head.

"Manners would not kill you..." Robin breathed, but was completely ignored by the other boy.

Batman stared at the slightly pissed off street urchin, then looked at Zatara with an disinterested air about him. "Who is he?"

Zatara rubbed his face as he sighed because of Jason's coarse manners, then looked at the man before him. "That is Jason Todd, Batman. I took him in a year or two ago..." Zatara mused, "I decided it was about time he was able to fight with something other than blind rage."

Batman quirked an eyebrow at this, slightly intrigued, while Robin tapped on Jason's shoulder. The slightly taller boy turned to the crime fighter, eyes narrowed dangerously, but the hostility left him when Robin pointed to his right.

Jason followed the boy's direction, then found a bunch of vehicles just waiting to be stripped. "Oh hell yeah..." He whispered, following as Robin walked towards his newest jackpot.

"Are you going to train him in magic?" Batman asked, looking at the screen in front of him, and seeing how Zatara had been tracking down the boy's ancestry.

"I am thinking of doing just that. But I must first find out if he has any _Homo Magi_ blood." Zatara confirmed Batman's thoughts. "You're database is the largest I know of."

Batman nodded, then sighed and shook his head. "You could have just asked for permission, old friend."

Zatara chuckled somewhat shyly, scratching at his neck. "I could have, but it has been so long since I last spoke to you. It would feel like I was taking advantage of you..."

Batman actually smirked at this, crossing his arms. "I believe you have already taken advantage of my resources _and_ my butler."

At this, Batman motioned to the clearly hypnotized Alfred, whom was staring off into nothing. Zatara had the decency to at least smile abashedly at this, "I apologize for that."

"Of course you do... Now what do you need to know about Jason?" Batman quickly reverted into all seriousness, making Zatara nod and turn back to the computer.

"We must search into at least four hundred years ago. To the time when witches were believed to roam the Earth..."

* * *

**Present time, Themyscira: **

"Zatanna! Where are you, daughter?" The dark haired beauty known as Princess Diana asked as she made her way through the halls of her giant palace in Themyscira, trying to pinpoint the location of her daughter. "You know today is your coronation!"

Princess Diana sighed as she looked from left to right, finding nothing but the large marble columns iconic to her homeland. Already she had spent the whole afternoon looking for her daughter, which really was a frivolous search. She couldn't find the nine year old troublemaker, which was really starting to worry her.**  
**

This day was most important. It was the day when Zatanna would become a full daughter of Theymiscira. The true daughter of Princess Diana.

"Zatanna, if you do not appear now, I will never allow you to play with Hermes ever again!"

But even with this serious threat, there was no answer from the child. Princess Diana sighed at the almost mocking silence, then looked up as she heard footsteps running towards her, hoping it was her daughter.

"Princess Diana! We have a problem!"

Unfortunately for her, it was not Zatanna running up to her, but instead one of her Amazonian warriors, running up to her in full armor.

Now this would not have worried the Amazonian Princess because it was customary to dress up for a coronation, but the clear apprehension and worry on the woman's face made Diana wonder what was happening.

"What is going on, Bremusa?" Princess Diana asked the dark skinned woman, who bowed slightly as soon as she was a few feet in front of Diana.

"Atlantis again. Their king insists on attending the coronation of Princess Zatanna!"

This immediately angered the usually calm Amazonian Princess, fully knowing that the King of Atlantis only did this to anger her. "We will not give him _any_ kind of satisfaction, Bremusa. Find me Molpadia and come with her. King Arthur will not ruin my daughter's coronation!"

With that the dark skinned woman nodded and bowed once more, only to leave running to find her companion. After she was gone, Princess Diana's eyes narrowed and she ran to her own room, deciding that if King Arthur would be foolish enough to ruin her daughter's special day, then he would have to face a spiteful warrior.

**So, I am extremely sorry for not updating in forever, but as most know, my muse is fickle and fleeting. I've also been preoccupied with Summer School; seeing how I need to take English classes to get into the Honor Group for next year; and house work... My brothers' are lazy bums...**

**But, I will try to update a bit more often, but there's no promises. I feel inspired now and I _will update tomorrow_ but I don't hold any promises for the rest of the week.**

**But please review and I promise to not leave this story for more than a month!**


	11. Chapter 11

"How dare you trespass on this holy land?" Princess Diana; now dressed in her Wonder Woman armor; asked in an extremely angered tone as she walked towards the beaches of her home, followed by her two greatest Amazonian warriors.

Waiting on the edge of the sand was none other than King Arthur Curry, also known as Aquaman to the human world, with a small girl standing beside him. They were both wearing Atlantean armor, but Princess Diana refused to be amazed at how rich they both looked. They were criminals to her now.

"Princess Diana!" The King called with a smug smile, blue eyes shining with both pride and happiness. "My daughter and myself are here to see the coronation of Princess Zatanna!" He called happily.

Diana only glared at him darkly, then down at the small girl beside him. She was no older than eleven in human years, with pale white skin, bright red hair, extremely bright green eyes, and; of course; gills at her neck. She wore a loose, green bikini top with armor at her shoulders, arms, and hands, and a long red skirt. She also had armor on her legs and wore metallic boots, along with a necklace with an 'x' as a charm.

But the thing that actually surprised Diana was the tiara on her red hair, which was loose and curly with fragments of the sea inside, giving her an even more beautiful look.

All in all, the girl looked like the image of a perfect Atlantean child. A perfect Atlantean princess.

"I see you have also adopted a daughter." Diana called as she stepped closer to Arthur, both her warriors walking behind her.

Arthur smiled as he placed a hand on the girl, smiling. "Yes, I have. Meet my daughter, Megan Curry."

Diana frowned deeply at the name. "That is a human name. What is her Atlantean name?"

Arthur's smile never faltered because he knew he was getting under Princess Diana's skin. A child- No! A girl actually interacting with the King of Atlantis! This was the ultimate insult to the Princess, seeing how she just _loved_ to safe women from men.

"Mg'ain." The girl answered, her voice sweet and soft.

Princess Diana was actually stunned to hear such beauty, but nodded. "It is a beautiful name."

Now the Amazons stood in front of the Atlanteans, both groups in armor and ready for battle. Princess Diana did not like the idea of fighting a child, but Arthur Curry was a smart one that knew what he was doing. He had brought Megan to distract Diana. And it was working.

"You very well know, King Arthur, if you are not invited, you cannot attend a coronation." Diana spoke now, glaring into the King's blue eyes.

"I do, Princess Diana." He smiled, stroking his beard while at it. "But seeing how coronations are so few and far between, and are usually always for a queen, I was hoping that we would be allowed to see Princess Zatanna on this most unusual day."

Diana audibly growled at the man's choice of words, then shook her head as both her Amazons took a step forward. "You are not welcome here, King Arthur. No man is allowed in Themyscira, you know this. Now leave or_ I_ will make you leave." _  
_

The King only crossed his arms and looked down at Megan, who looked up at him with calm green eyes. "Now, Sire?"

"Yes, child. Now."

Princess Diana looked at both of them with wary eyes, then suddenly gasped as she started floating in the air.

"What devilry?" She gasped, looking behind her to find both of her Amazons in the same predicament. "Arthur, stop this right now!"

"I believe I will check on the newest heir to the Amazonian throne, Princess Diana." Arthur only smirked, patting Megan's head. "Practice on them, Sweetie. For as long as you want."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"Look, Mr. Freeze, sir! I promise I won't tell my Uncle or anyone at the precinct what I saw! Promise!" Richard Grayson pleaded as he was carried over Captain Cold's shoulder.

"Shut up, kiddie!" Captain Cold scolded gruffly. "Mr. Freeze is over in Gotham! Do I look like a psychopath trying to use Science to revive my wife?"

Heatwave chuckled at the older man's clear face of insult, then looked down at the sullen Trickster and Pied Piper. "What's wrong with you two?" He asked, ruffling Trickster's hair, only to have the boy shrug him off.

"He's our best friend and you're using him as bait to take down Flash." Trickster mumbled, arms crossed.

"He's never going to want to be our friend again..." Pied Piper finished, making Heatwave groan.

"You kids shouldn't have consciences." Heatwave said, "You work for the Rogues now! There's no way you can be so sentimental! Especially to a son of a cop!"

"Blokes right!" Captain Boomerang suddenly appeared beside them, a bag filled with something slung over his shoulder. "Pigs are our enemy!"

Richard glared darkly at the Australian man, feeling extremely insulted because of the insult to the Police Department, "You guys are meanie! I hope the Flash gets you all and throws you all in jail! That's where you deserve to be!"

Both Captain Cold and Captain Boomerang laughed at the child's words, all the while Heatwave chuckled and Pied Piper and Trickster frowned.

"Can't we leave him outside? Please!" Both Piper and Trickster pleaded together, hands clasped in front of themselves as they looked up at their caretakers and teachers. "He's our best friend! You can't do this to him!"

All of the adults groaned at their kids insistence, all the while Richard nodded rapidly. "Come on guys, please put me down! I didn't do anything wrong and I won't tell any of the Police Officers about what happened here! Promise!"

Cold only continued walking down the long hallway of the Flash Museum, shaking his head at the kids' innocence. "Not going to happen, kids."

"An' if you wan' ta be a part of this, you'll stop whinin'! Or else, you're never comin' with us again!" Captain Boomerang yelled, his voice final.

But this just left the three boys angered and annoyed. You could just _see_ the cogs in their brains turning.

**Please review.**


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